2012年4月2日 星期一

New York Cosmos legend Giorgio Chinaglia passes away due to complications from heart attack

New York Cosmos legend Giorgio Chinaglia has passed away due to complications from a heart attack in Florida.

Chinaglia, the NASL’s all-time leading scorer with 243 goals, was 65.

Chinaglia was a star with Lazio in 1976 when he decamped for New York. Considered the greatest player in Lazio’s history, his move to the States was controversial and he was arguably the first player to join the NASL while still in the prime of his career.

Chinaglia played alongside greats such as Pele and Franz Beckenbauer in New York. He became famous for his prolific scoring touch and fiery demeanor.

A Hall of Fame inductee in 2000, Chinaglia was one of the most recognizable faces of American soccer in the 1970s and 1980s. He once scored seven goals in a single NASL match, was player of the year in 1981 and a four-time golden boot winner. He appeared 14 times for the Italian national team, scoring four goals.